Asian American women filmmakers highlighted at LA festival

Mumbai: Feature films directed by Asian American women will be the highlight this year at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival produced by Visual Communications and presented by Honda.

A record number of 10 features helmed by female filmmakers from the US will be presented. These include Ping Pong Playa directed by Oscar winner Jessica Yu; Never Forever directed by Gina Kim; Oh Saigon directed by Doan Hoang; Joyful Life directed by Anita Chang; Yours Truly, Miss Chinatown directed by Daisy Lin Shapiro; Wings of Defeat directed by Risa Morimoto; Long Story Short directed by Christine Choy; The Sensei directed by Diana Lee Inosanto; Chants of Lotus directed by Fatimah Tobing Rony; and Against the Grain directed by Ann Kaneko.

"This year’s line up from female voices and perspectives is very exciting," states Festival co-director David Magdael. "These films and stories are coming from both seasoned veteran filmmakers and newcomers covering both real life and fictional genres. The amount of talent out there is promising, as we continue to develop Asian American cinema."

The Festival opens 1 May with Ping Pong Playa and closes on 8 May with Tony Ayre’s The Home Song Stories starring Joan Chen and features the centerpiece film Kissing Cousins from Amyn Kaderali on 4 May.

Established in 1983, the 24th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival produced by Visual Communications and presented by Honda is Southern California’s largest and leading showcase for Asian Pacific American and Asian international cinema. This year, the eight-day movie-rama will also include a complement of filmmaker seminars, panel discussions, workshops, and awards.